The Rising of Two Heroes, Volume 3
by saturn95
Summary: Having acquired two of the seven Crystal Stars, Mario and Luigi now race against the clockwork of the cosmos as they try and locate the remaining five in their efforts to save the world and the princesses from Bowser. As they travel to new and exotic places with weird cultures, the brothers will meet new friends who will guide them through the new dangers that stand in their way.
1. Part 1, Chapter 1

**1**

What seemed like a reality was really only a dream. Peach dreamt that she was home in her castle and Mario was outstretched across her bed waiting for her to come to him. Everything was peaceful. The breeze blowing through the window made for a very relaxing atmosphere and Mario starred at her with wanting eyes. Peach could not help but feel seduced by Mario's smile, for she never had the chance to get very far with Mario the night of the dinner banquet following the funeral of King Toadstool. And just like that, everything around her disappeared and Peach found herself inside same caged trap with Daisy, but was surprised to see that Pauline was still missing. She had obviously escaped.

"Daisy? Are you awake?" Peach asked weakly as she stood up.

"Just barely." Daisy replied as she stretched her limbs and stood up to get the juices flowing through her body once again. She looked around the inside of the cage and was also surprised of Pauline's absence.

"Where's Pauline?" Daisy asked.

"I...I don't know." Peach replied. "What happened before we fell asleep?"

"I think Kamek knocked us out with one of his magic spells." Daisy said. "All I remember is that we were following Pauline out of the castle and then a whole bunch of Koopa Troops stopped us, along with Kamek."

"And then we were knocked out by his magic." Peach said. "How long were we asleep?"

"I'm not sure." Daisy said as she walked over to the other side of the cage to inspect the lock. It had been replaced with a combination lock.

"Damn it!" Daisy said. "They replaced the lock!'

"What are we going to do now?" Peach asked. "Is there anything at all that we can do?"

"I don't think so Peach. I think they have us trapped really well this time." Daisy replied.

Peach slouched to the floor of the cage and felt a slight tear run down her right cheek. All she wanted was for Mario to be next to her and to comfort her. It was not very long before Daisy walked over to Peach and tried to talk sense into her.

"Peach we've gone through this many times already." Daisy said. "Take it easy. At least Bowser and Kamek aren't here to bother us."

"Where is Kamek?" Peach suddenly asked in a curious tone. She stood up and looked around the dark empty chamber. "Where are the guards for that matter?"

"There aren't any guards?" Daisy asked as she stood up and looked. She was surprised as well. "How long were we asleep?"

"I don't know." Peach said. "I wonder what time it is."

"It's probably dark right now." Daisy said. "I could be wrong though. There's absolutely no way of telling whether it's day or night down here!"

"Yeah, you're right." Peach replied. "I lost track of how many days it's been since we were captured. Is it four or five? I can't remember."

"It's probably around five." Daisy said. "We'll be lucky if ever Mario and Luigi ever find us down here. I really do hope that they are okay."

"Me too." Peach replied in a depressed tone. Daisy was quick to notice her sudden sadness.

"What's bothering you Peach? There has to be something that's one your mind that's making you so sad."

Peach lifted her head.

"Have you ever wanted someone so bad that you dream about the person and think that everything that's happening is actually happening?"

"This is about Mario isn't it?" Daisy asked. "I know how you feel Peach. I feel the same way about Luigi."

"But it's different for you!" Peach said. "Unlike me and Mario, you and Luigi had something going on in your bedroom!"

"Oh don't start this again, Peach!" Daisy said. "Your time will come!"

"Yeah, when I'm thirty!" Peach said. "I'll be lucky if it happens at forty!"

"For Christ's sake Peach, why are you saying such things! You two would make the perfect couple!"

"I'm just worried that we'll never get out of here!" Peach said. "I miss Mario so much! I want to marry him as soon as we get out of here."

Daisy put her hand on Peach's shoulder.

"We'll get out of here." Daisy said. "It's only a matter of time before Bowser's evil plan fails again and we're saved by Mario and Luigi."

"I don't know Daisy." Peach said. "Bowser has really taken it a step up this time. First of all, he kidnapped us. Second, since there's no one on the Mushroom Kingdom to rule, the whole kingdom will eventually go under and Bowser will claim it as his own land. Eventually, it'll get to the point where he becomes so powerful that nothing in the world will stop him and he'll be the leader of a new world order! I just don't see how anything will be able to keep this from happening. I'm so scared. I wish Mario was here to protect me. He's the only guy that has really touched my heart. I've known since the day we met that we would cross paths and stay with each other for years to come. Words can't describe the feelings I have for him right now."

"Wow." Daisy said. "I didn't know you loved him _that_ much!"

"I do." Peach said. "Don't you feel the same about Luigi?"

"Of course!" Daisy said. "I thought you already knew that. I don't think any other guy would better suit me than Luigi. He's everything a girl like me looks for. He's shy, funny, smart, and he isn't afraid to express himself and the weaknesses he has. To me, that simply makes him stronger."

"You must really love him if you forced him to get down and dirty." Peach said. "Although I still don't get how or why that happened. What made you decide to do it?!"

"I'm not going to say." Daisy said in a frustrated tone. "I'm done talking about my personal life. It's my business and no one else's!"

"Sorry." Peach said. "I'm really sorry."

"It's fine." Daisy said. "Just take it easy. Mario will come and save you and Luigi will come save me. We'll be the luckiest women in the world!"

After a moment of silence, the two princesses decided to lie back down, close their eyes and wait for something else to happen. Peach hoped that Mario would appear again the next time she fell asleep and hoped that it would not be too long before she could see him with her own eyes again. Daisy had the same thoughts for Luigi.

* * *

**Peach and Daisy have finally awakened from their spell-induced slumber and discovered that the cage had been reequipped with a combination lock. They also know that Pauline had managed to escape, but they are unaware of Kamek's, along with all the guards' whereabouts. They also don't know how long they've been asleep or how many days they've trapped.**

**And so begins the third volume of the epic prequel to the Super Mario Bros. adventures! I'll try and get the next chapter in as soon as possible. In the meantime, I'll be brainstorming some new ideas! See in the next chapter :)**

**saturn95**


	2. Part 1, Chapter 2

**2**

The sun was already below the horizon line as the airship continued soaring over the landscape. The landscape below was mountainous and covered with bright white snow that glowed orange under the light of the evening sky. Twilight was fast approaching as the airship started to near the North Circle and a cold wind started to strengthen and rock the ship as a snowstorm started rolling in. Mario had just taken over the wheel and Luigi ended his shift by simply watching his brother steer, since he had already caught up on his sleep and had nothing else better to do. He had been thinking about the spirits of him and his brother's parents and the advice that they had given them. It seemed as though he could hear their voices inside his head, but he was not sure if it was just a figment of his imagination. But after everything that he and Mario have been through so far, it seems very possible for anything to happen.

"Boy, what a contrast from earlier!" Luigi said as he starred out the window. "So the third star is hidden somewhere in this region?"

"Yep." Mario said. "I've checked the navigation and it looks like were headed in the right direction and to the right coordinates. We should be there in about an hour if the weather permits it."

"I sure hope it does!" Luigi said. "We need all the spare time we can get!"

"Hey, Luigi. Could you go into the Koopa Quarters and see if there are any winter coats that might fit us?" Mario asked. "I'm looking at this onboard thermometer and it doesn't look too forgiving."

"What's the temperature outside?" Luigi asked.

"With the wind chill, it's about negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit." Mario said. "It's only going to get colder as the night rolls in."

"That's a little colder than what I was hoping for." Luigi said. "I almost wish we were still in Sarasaland!"

"I'm glad that we're not there anymore!" Mario replied. "If we were there longer, we probably would've been hunted down by Bowser. I'm glad that he's not that much of a threat now."

"Don't say that yet." Luigi said. "We still have a long way to go."

"Right." Mario said. "Just go find some winter gear already! It's starting to get really cold inside the ship!"

Luigi ran down to the one of the Koopas' sleeping rooms and opened a closet door. Sure enough there were a few military uniforms hanging inside as well as a few winter coasts of various sizes. Surprisingly, most of the uniforms inside the closet were large enough to accommodate for Mario's as well as Luigi's physical characteristics. Luigi looked closer and saw that the uniforms were actually the remaining memories of human soldiers that once fought for the Mushroom Kingdom as indicated by the large mushroom-shaped emblem badge on each of the jackets. The Koopa Troop that lived in the room more than likely kept them as trophies.

Luigi was looking for a uniform to suit him when the airship suddenly started to shake uncontrollably. He rushed back to the control room and looked out the window. The visibility was extremely low and a flurry of snow was rushing at the ship like a swarm of angry insects. Mario found it difficult to control the wheel as the ship continued to sway out of control.

"What's going on?" Luigi asked.

"We're going to have to land." Mario said. "This storm is too much."

"Does that mean we're going to have to walk the rest of the way?" Luigi asked.

"Are you crazy?! I don't want to walk through this freezing storm!" Mario replied. "There's no way we could survive overnight through this crappy weather!"

"Our time is limited, Mario!" Luigi said.

"I realize that." Mario said. "Hold on! This is going to be one bumpy ride!"

Mario suddenly jerked the ship downward by pressing a button and the brothers started sliding towards the front of the room as the angle of the ship changed. Both of them had butterflies in their stomachs as the ground started coming at them fast.

"How are we going to land this thing?!" Luigi asked. "Are we crash-landing?"

"I'm working on it!" Mario shouted as the ship got ever closer to the snowy ground below. Luigi held his breath as the ground became just under a hundred feet away. Finally, Mario was able to regain control of the ship and fix the angle of the ship to ensure a safe landing. The landing that followed was enough to the brothers off their feet. Mario got up and killed the engine and everything soon became quiet except for the whistling wind outside.

"Well, we're here." Mario said. "Let's grab our stuff and get out of here. Did you find anything warm?"

"I found some old uniforms that were worn by soldiers in the Mushroom Kingdom's army." Luigi said. "I don't know how they got here, but I'm certain that the Koopas took them as trophies during previous battles."

"That's terrible." Mario said. "Everything that Bowser has done is terrible."

He paused for a moment.

"Let's get ourselves suited up. It's going to get very cold."

* * *

Mario and Luigi dressed themselves in full military uniforms and winter gear and then stepped out of the airship to examine their surroundings. It was dark, but not completely dark, as the twilight still crept through the heavy clouds above, which let out a relentless torrent of snow and ice. The wind blasted the snow into their faces to the point where they felt as though they were being pelted by sand. To make matters worse, the snow made it very hard to see long distances. However, Mario and Luigi were both able to make out the silhouette of a mountain ridge in the distance facing northwest.

"W...which w...way do we go f...from here?" Luigi shivered as he struggled to keep warm in the bitter cold.

"We need to go that way, over that mountain ridge." Mario said. "I'm not sure how long it will take us, but we need to get to our destination as soon as possible! Night is about to roll in, we should probably find someplace warm."

"N...not to m...mention something th...that we can eat." Luigi said. "We haven't really eaten anything for almost t...two days!"

"You're right." Mario said. "Until then, we need to take it easy through the snow. The cold can really take a toll on our bodies, since it causes us to use more energy just to keep ourselves warm."

"Mario." Luigi said. "Something tells me we're going to be in danger very soon. We should start moving out right now."

"Do you have everything you need?" Mario asked.

"Yes." Luigi said. "Do you have everything else, including the two Crystals Stars?"

"Yep. We're all set." Mario said. "Here, you're going to need these."

Mario pulled out one of the pairs of gloves that he had been saving since they were purchased back in Rogueport and handed it to Luigi. Once their hands were well-insulated they were ready to start the next segment of their journey.

Mario and Luigi stepped away from the airship and started walking through the thick cold snow and towards the mountain. Night was approaching very fast and the Mario brothers could feel the temperature drop with every passing minute, especially in their feet were the icy cold started to freeze their toes. There was no time to waste.

* * *

**Mario and Luigi have just arrived in the cold and unforgiving northern Snowy territory above the northernmost extent of the Mushroom Kingdom. The bad weather has cause for a major delay in their time schedule for obtaining the third star, so now the brothers are forced to walk the rest of the journey by foot.** **If you recall from the previous installment, Kamek was warped to the Snowy region after Pauline waved the wand at him. There is a good chance that Kamek will encounter the Mario brothers, but the brothers don't realize this...Will their longing for cooler temperatures after their trek in Sarasaland have dire consequences? We'll just have to wait and see :)**

**saturn95**


	3. Part 1, Chapter 3

**3**

Yoshi and Pauline continued through the night as they started seeing signs of their departure from Bowser's evil kingdom. The dark and evil lava fields have since been replaced by tundra and the sky was no longer polluted with volcanic ash and smoke. Pauline shivered in the bitter cold, since she was only wearing her red dress and her feet were frozen from the absence of adequate footwear. Yoshi tried offering Pauline his shoes, but they were unable to fit, since Yoshi's feet are shaped differently. Luckily, the two of them managed to create a small campfire with the help of rubbing two dry sticks together, coupled with plenty of dry grass.

Frost had already accumulated on the ground as the air continued to get cooler. Pauline sat next the fire with her closest to keep them warm. The rest of her body shivered uncontrollably as the wind started blowing. Yoshi also shivered, for he was only accustomed to living on a tropical island as were the other Yoshies that lived in his native land south of the equator. He was as close to the fire as he could get without making himself too warm, however his back remained frozen so he periodically switched his body around to warm the other side until the front of his body became cold again.

"It sure is freezing out here!" Pauline said in a shivery tone. "I wish I had shoes to keep my feet warm."

"I wish I was back on my island." Yoshi said. "My people need me. Without me, there is no one to look up to for advice or spiritual guidance. You see, we Yoshies are a very religious race. Throughout our long history, we've looked to nature for answers to our deepest questions and we have since developed an intimate relationship between the other races that roam this planet, including you humans. In fact, we consider the human race as our closest ally. We help feed each other and provide each other with faster and more efficient methods of agriculture and transportation. In this case, I'm helping you find the Mario Brothers and you are helping me return to my island."

"It's my pleasure to help you," Pauline said, "although something still doesn't seem clear to me."

"What's that?" Yoshi asked.

"How come your race hardly speaks back in the Mushroom Kingdom as well as in Sarasaland? What keeps from talking to the humans?"

Yoshi looked at Pauline for a minute, for he did not know how to answer the question. It never occurred to him that any human would ever ask that question for as long as he would live.

"To be perfectly honest," Yoshi began, clearing his throat in the process. "The reason why our race keeps its mouth closed is because we tend to be very shy creatures. That's why, in order to be a leader of our island nation, you have to have the willingness to interact with other intelligent beings without being spoken to first. Not only that, but as the leader of Yoshi's Island, and any other world leader, you have to meet up with a lot of different people from around the world and negotiate with them to create healthy trading and business practices. For the longest time right up to this day, the evil dictator Bowser is the only world leader that has no other allies and is the enemy of everyone else simply because he wants everything to himself and to his liking."

"He's tried many times before, but has failed every time." Pauline asked. "Why would he take you away to his kingdom is he knows that you hate him? Does he want something from you that he doesn't have?"

"That's exactly right." Yoshi replied. "For almost twenty years, Bowser has been trying to claim our island and claim it as part of his own territory. He believes that the only way he can truly claim it is to kidnap its leader."

"How long have you been trapped?" Pauline asked.

"I want to say about a year or two." Yoshi replied. "Since then, Bowser has been too wrapped up in this current evil enterprise to even care about taking over our island. I know for a fact that the other inhabitants on Yoshi's Island are still alive and well, because the Koopa Troops at my jail cell would always have the television volume maxed out. That was the first time, I've ever seen a television, for you see, our island is devoid of certain modern technology."

"And why is that?" Pauline asked. "There's got to be some way that your people keep up to date on everything going on in the world."

"Our island may not have television, but we do have radios." Yoshi said. "Unfortunately, there are times where the radio signal fades in and out, for you see, our radios strictly operate on radio signals which bounce off of radio towers that lie over fifty miles north of Yoshi's Island. We don't quite have enough resources to build our own satellite dish equipment, which is why we don't have television."

"How were you able to figure out how a television works so easily if your island doesn't have that kind of technology?" Pauline asked.

"That's easy." Yoshi replied. "Our people have always had a deep interest in the way things work. Like I said earlier, our people our very religious, however our people are also very scientific. Not only that, but our nation is the only place in the entire world that recognizes both religion and science as two concepts that go together. Most people in the world today would either recognize science or religion as the prevailing force to explaining everything, depending on where you are in the world. But our ancestors were able to able to hold strong to both of these and has been that way ever since."

"That's rather intriguing. You'll have to explain that to me more." Pauline said.

"I can't explain it right now. It's something you'll have to find out once we get to Yoshi's Island, that is, after we find the Mario Brothers." Yoshi said.

"I wonder where they're at now." Pauline asked. "Did they make any more progress in their quest?"

"I just hope that the elders' predictions are true." Yoshi said. "But I highly doubt that they would be wrong. After all, they seemed very certain that the Mario Brothers would save the world, especially since their little episode back in their infancy which took place on our island."

"Mario has told me about that before." Pauline said. "But I never quite believed him until rather recently. He's already saved my life twice."

"Well, wherever they're at," Yoshi said, "I'm sure Mario and Luigi are making some heavy progress. In the meantime, I think we should try and get some shut-eye for tomorrow. We need to be as alert as possible in case any Koopa Troops try to capture us again."

"I'll try." Pauline said. "Hopefully I don't freeze any more than I already am."

"I'll keep the fire going tonight so that we'll stay warm." Yoshi said.

"But what if Koopa Troops see us?" Pauline asked.

"I'll be sure to keep an open ear for any unusual activity." Yoshi replied. "You get your sleep, alright?"

"Okay." Pauline said. "Like I said, I'll try."

"A little sleep is better than none." Yoshi replied.

With that said both Pauline and Yoshi laid next to the fire and started closing their eyes as the flames of the campfire started to get slightly smaller as the cold wind continued blowing across the tundra.

* * *

**Finally, a new chapter is up! Sorry for such a long wait. I've been on spring break for over a week so I was not able to be near a computer during that time, but it was fun.**

**Pauline and Yoshi are now stranded in a cold tundra along the outskirts of Bowser's kingdom, trying to keep warm next to a fire that they built. As they sit, Pauline learns a little more about Yoshi and his culture and is surprised to learn that the reason his race would never talk to the humans was because of the fact that they're shy. Yoshi however lacks the shyness that his fellow Yoshies have, which Pauline learns is the reason why he is the leader of the inhabitants of Yoshi's Island. Afterwards, the two focus on finding the Mario Brothers and finding the safest route that would ensure Yoshi's return to his island home. Stay tuned to find out what happens next. Until then, as usual, I will see you guys later :)**

**saturn95**


	4. Part 1, Chapter 4

**4**

Mario and Luigi scrambled through the thick snowstorm as ice and snow pelted their faces like shards of glass. The only thing that they could do was to keep moving forward and hope that relief would be on its way. But the storm was unrelenting, and the brothers could feel their faces freeze in the bitter cold. Even the hairs on the back of their necks seemed frozen in place. Night had fallen and the landscape was no an utter black...except for a small light coming from far ahead. Mario and Luigi looked closer and saw that it was a small living establishment: a cabin.

"Maybe whoever lives there can help us!" Mario shivered as the wind started picking up. "They probably have food too!"

"I sure hope so!" Luigi replied, his stomach growling at the thought of a delicious, warm meal. _Oatmeal? Eggs and bacon? Turkey? Ham?_ He could not decide on which food sounded better, for anything sounded tasty. Even if it was a food Luigi did not care much for, he would still eat it. That was how hungry he and Mario were as they started walking towards the lonely cabin.

As they got closer to the cabin, they saw a figure in the window that was in the shape of a penguin. The brothers immediately knew that a penguin was living there; however the window was covered up the second time they looked through the window.

"That's weird." Luigi said. "Whoever's living there is acting suspicious of our presence. He probably thinks that we're a couple of Koopas roaming around in the snow looking for trouble."

"After all, we did arrive in one of Bowser's air carriers!" Mario said. "But it's always worth a shot to see if anyone will answer, just like when we used to go door to door to offer them pipe services. Remember that, Luigi?"

"Yes." he replied.

Mario and Luigi walked up to the wooden cabin door and knocked.

No answer.

They tried knocking again after a few seconds.

Still no answer.

Finally, Mario started banging his fist on the door.

"Go away!" said a voice from inside. "You Koopas aren't taking me away from my cabin! I don't care if Bowser punishes you or not, just don't kidnap me!"

"We're not Koopa Troops!" Mario shouted. "Would you please let us in before we freeze to death?!"

"How do I know you aren't lying?!" the penguin yelled.

"Just open the door!" Luigi yelled. "I assure you that we're telling the truth!"

"I still don't believe you!"

"For God's sake! We're Mario and Luigi!" Mario yelled. "We're the two heroes who were prophesied in the _Book of Prophecies_."

Slowly, the door opened and the penguin peaked through the door crack and saw the two brothers. He was surprised to see them standing there.

"It...It really is you two, isn't it?!" the penguin said in a lighter tone. "Please, come in! Make yourselves at home!"

* * *

Mario and Luigi entered the cabin and followed their penguin host into a large den area where a small television set was displaying images and sound. There were two large couches in the room along with a small chair with a tiny table next to it which had a small lamp. At the very far end of the room was a large fireplace where a huge fire was burning and warming the cabin. The two brothers did not even bother hesitating when they saw it, for they were too cold to feel their hands and feet.

"You two look really tired." said the penguin. "Might I offer you two some sort of warm beverage or maybe something to eat?"

"I could use something to eat." Luigi said. "Me and my brother have been unable to eat for almost two days. We've been wandering around the desert of Sarasaland in search of the second Crystal Star while being chased by Bowser and his cronies."

"Oh, heavens!" said the penguin. "Please take whatever you want from the kitchen! You two must be starving!"

"Might I ask who you are?" Mario asked. "What's your name?"

"My name is Mark." said the penguin. "I've been living in this region of the world for quite some time, secretly spying watching the broadcasts from Bowser's satellites to see what's next on his evil agenda. Sometimes, he steals broadcasts from other parts of the world and displays them on his station."

"Really?" Mario asked in a surprised tone. "How have you been managing that?"

"You see, Bowser has a secret outpost located up in the snowbound mountains just behind my cabin. I've been picking up the signals that are received there for many years, but it's only recently that I've seen the area under so much activity. It's a madhouse right now."

"I wonder why?" Luigi asked sarcastically. He then turned towards the television. "Hey! What are they talking about?!"

"It looks like a broadcast from the Mushroom Kingdom!" Mario said as they both listened.

"_The frightened astronomers at Toadstool Observatory announced earlier today that they have found what appears to be a giant cloud of dark energy. Observational analyses have indicated that the cloud is moving faster than anything else that astronomers around the world have ever seen, faster even than the fastest comet or solar eruption. Its course will take it on a collision course with Earth and bring 'doomsday' to our civilization in less than two weeks at around the same time an alignment of the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn is said to take place on the exact opposite side of the sun relative to us. It is currently moving way from the planet Saturn and is said to arrive at Jupiter in about four days. We will keep you updated on its course. The only things that we as a civilization can do now are to hope and pray that this cloud of dark energy will miss us and that we will live to tell the tale. As of right now, things don't look very promising for planet Earth._"

"Oh no!" Mario said. "That message inside the pyramid...that's the evil force that it's referring to, Luigi!"

Mario and Luigi looked at each other with looks of terror in their eyes. They knew they were in for more than they could handle. Mark was puzzled.

"What exactly are you talking about?" Mark asked. "What is this message of which you speak of?"

"Here, let's sit down." Mario said. "Me and Luigi will tell you everything that has happened so far."

The three of them sat down in the den and Mario started telling Mark everything that happened from the very beginning.

* * *

**Hey, everyone! I'm back! Sorry for such a long wait. School has been my number one priority for the past two weeks because I've been working on what is called a 'senior project'. It's something that me and the other seniors at my school have to do, otherwise we would not be able to graduate. Now that it's all over with, I can update this story more frequently again and start carrying forward the events that are taking place with the Mario Brothers.**

**Right now, the brothers are seeking refuge from the cold in the small residence of a penguin named Mark, who has been tracking Bowser's movements for quite some time. He tells the brothers about an outpost that Bowser has situated in the mountains, the place where Mario and Luigi have to go to find the third star. Also, the brothers are now fully aware that there is a cloud of dark energy making its way towards Earth, which means the stakes have been raised, not just for them, but also the entire world. Now, Mario will the tell the whole story of how the two brothers made it to where they are standing now...**

**The next chapter will continue where this one left off. Then, we'll check back on some of the other characters as the story progresses. And, as usual, I will see all of you this next time I post a chapter. I promise that the waiting period will be shorter from now on, and if there is another time that I'll be really busy, I'll try and alert you guys beforehand :) See ya!**

**saturn95 **


	5. Part 1, Chapter 5

**5**

"So you two have been travelling around the world for four days in search of the Seven Crystal Stars?" Mark asked.

"That's right." Mario said. "So far, we've found two of them. Here, have a look."

Mario pulled out the stars from the rucksack and handed them over to Mark, who was sitting on the opposite couch. He starred at the two artifacts in awe.

"I thought these were just legends!" Mark said. "So, it's true that the Shadow Queen ruled over the entire world almost a thousand years ago. How could I be such a fool for not recognizing this?"

"What do you mean?" Luigi asked.

"Well, I always had my suspicions that Bowser was up to a much grander evil plot, but I never thought that he would attempt anything like this. In all the years I've spent in this frozen wasteland, I never thought that Bowser would go to such extremes to take over the entire world."

Mark paused.

"I heard you guys crash land one of Bowser's airships just over half an hour ago. At first, I thought you two were Koopas from the army. That's why I was so afraid to be seen earlier. I assume you two stole the airship?"

"That's correct." Mario said. "We had no idea how to drive that thing, but it didn't take us that long to figure it out though."

"That's remarkable!" Mark replied. "I just hope that Bowser doesn't know where you guys are. Otherwise, he'll kill you guys for sure!"

"Well, all I can say about Bowser is that you always have to expect the unexpected." Luigi said. "Me and Mario figured that out the hard way growing up. But that's another story which we don't like to talk about very much. Too much tragedy and suffering..."

"I won't ask you about it then." Mark replied. "Where did you say the third star was located again?"

"According to the coordinates that we were provided with," Mario said, "the next star is located in the general direction of Bowser's outpost, the one you mentioned not too long ago."

"The only advice that I can really give to you guys is to head straight toward the outpost." Mark said. "But beware of the surveillance. Bowser has the whole place wired up. I'm sure you two will find a way past it though."

The brothers looked at each other with disgusted expressions. _Surveillance?!_ _There's no way in hell we're going to be left unseen!_

"However, you may want to avoid that area, because I've heard rumors based on Bowser's broadcasts that they have recently a secret underground passage that leads somewhere strange." Mark said.

"You don't suppose that passageway could lead to the third star, do you?" Mario asked.

"For all I know, it could lead to the center of the Earth!" Mark said.

"Now let's be serious here!" Luigi said. "Do you know if Bowser has an archeological dig at this outpost?"

"From what I've heard, I believe he does." Mark said. "Why do you ask?"

"Well so far, it seems like everywhere we look for a crystal star there's always a dig site." Luigi said. "And when there's a dig site, there's a star."

Suddenly, a roaring sonic boom was heard soaring over the cabin. It was another one of Bowser's airships, and based on the changing location of the sound, the brothers could tell that it was heading in the direction of the outpost. After another minute or so, the sonic boom had disappeared and the whistling of the wind outside returned.

"I'm beginning to think that something big is about to happen at the outpost." Mark said. "You two should probably leave shortly if you want to find the third star, but importantly save the princesses of Sarasaland and the Mushroom Kingdom. I hate to rush you guys out the door so soon, but if the troops are currently after you, I don't want to get caught in the middle of a conflict."

"Do you possibly have anything else that could help us on our way?" Mario asked. "Anything at all?"

"Oh, that's right! I have something that you two might find very useful!" Mark said. "Follow me to the kitchen. Don't worry; I'll be sure you two leave with full stomachs!"

The brothers followed the penguin into the small, yet functional kitchen area and watched as he opened the door of his refrigerator. He pulled out a plastic bag which contained something the brothers had been longing more of.

"Red and green mushrooms!" Luigi said.

"Oh, so you already know about their hidden powers?" Mark asked.

"Yes!" Mario said. "These will definitely help us a lot!"

"Under the Mushroom Kingdom code, the mushrooms are forbidden to be picked, because they say it's an insult to their heritage." Mark said. "However, the real reason is because they are saving them for use in their military in order to defeat Bowser more easily. They've been researching the chemical properties of these mushrooms for a number of years and have yet to find a way to use them in a practical manner. So far, the only thing they've been able to do with them is use them for medicinal purposes, and I'm sure you already know how they work, am I right?"

"That's right." Luigi said. "Thank you, so much."

"It's my pleasure to help the two future heroes of our world!" Mark said. "Here, let me fix you guys something to eat. Do either of you like spaghetti?"

"Of course!" Luigi said, his face lighting up from its previous exhausted state. "That's my favorite dish!"

"Oh boy..." Mario said. At the same time, he could not help but laugh at his brother's strange addiction.

* * *

After the brothers satisfied their hungry appetites, they started heading for the front door.

"Are you sure you two don't want to get some rest before you leave?" Mark asked. "You're more than welcome to do that, you know."

"Thank you so much, Mark." Mario said. "But I'm afraid me and my brother have to leave. We don't have very much time to get any rest. We have less than two weeks to settle this chaotic mess and to save the princesses."

"Well, I certainly wish both of you the best of luck on your travels." Mark said. "You will need every bit of luck you can possibly get."

"Thanks again for everything!" Luigi said.

"You're welcome!" Mark said.

After saying their goodbyes, Mario and Luigi stepped out into the bitter cold and starting heading towards the mountains. The wind was much colder than it was before the sun disappeared below the horizon, so cold that the brothers could feel their hair freeze in place. However, the good thing was that they were off to a fresh start and were ready for whatever came their way...or so they thought.

* * *

**The brothers are now on their way to Bowser's secret outpost located in the heart of the cold and snowy mountains. Mark, the penguin, has just supplied them with a fresh supply of red and green mushrooms and their first meal in two days, which turned out to be spaghetti. With their appetites satisfied, the brothers are able to concentrate on what they have to do next, and that is to find a recently uncovered secret passage just outside of the outpost building, which to their knowledge will lead to the third star. This may sound much easier than their previous conquest back in Sarasaland, but it may prove to be otherwise...we'll see what happens later on in future chapters. ****Once again, I apologize for such a long waiting period...the weather been just too nice. However, as I always say, I will catch up with you guys in the next chapter, and I will try my hardest to get more done this week :)**

**saturn95**


	6. Part 1, Chapter 6

**6**

Kamek found himself pacing in the main lobby inside the building of Bowser's outpost while watching the television screen as the media extended its coverage of the coming cloud of dark energy. All he could do was smile.

"The world will be ours," he said under his own breath, "because we have the only safe shelter in the world that is capable of protecting us from dark energy! Damn, it only I had my wand with me...That dark-haired girl is going to get what's coming for her, if she didn't get it already. She wouldn't be able to last long on her own in the Darklands anyway, so why I am I worrying about it so much? Oh, well. At least Bowser is coming to find me. Hopefully the weather isn't too bad out there..."

"Kamek! Kamek! Bowser has just arrived!" one of the Koopas in the lobby called out. "He's about to enter the front door!"

As if intentionally trying to have perfect timing, Bowser slammed the front door ajar, letting in the cold wind from outside and then closed the door before walking into the lobby where Kamek stood.

"Well, it's about time you got here!" Kamek said. "I was worried that you would never come!"

"Never mind that little wait." Bowser replied. "I have something else I want to tell you. You might find this rather irritating."

"Well, what happened?" Kamek asked.

"The Mario Brothers have stolen one of my most precious airships!" Bowser said. "He has really taken this way too far, and my methods of trying to hunt them down don't seem to be effective enough!"

_Imagine that_. Kamek thought.

"Where are the brothers now?"

"I don't know where they are exactly." Bowser said. "However, I did pick up one very important clue while I was arriving here."

"What did you find?" Kamek asked.

"I found the wreckage of one our airships just a few miles from here." Bowser replied. "As far as I could tell with my poor vision, there were two sets of footprints in the snow, and they looked like they were made by humans."

"Hmm..." Kamek said. "And I suppose you think they were made by the two brothers?"

"That's exactly where I'm coming from!" Bowser said. "Not only that, but I know for damn sure that they have two of the Crystal Stars now!"

"What are you going to do about it?" Kamek asked. "If they are indeed here in these parts of the world, where would they be right now? What are you going to do when you see them?"

"Kill them of course!" Bowser said. "You should know that by now that they deserve to die for everything that they've done to us!"

"What are you going to do with that dark-haired woman?" Kamek asked.

"Nothing at the moment..." Bowser said. "For all we know, she could be long gone from the Darklands by now."  
"What makes you say that?" Kamek asked, slightly raising his right eyebrow.

"I don't know. I just have that weird feeling that she could be up to something that we don't know about yet." Bowser replied. "So much shit has happened in the last four days that one can't really predict what's going to happen next! Everything has its uncertainty now, and I do not like it. It's probably the reason we can never carry out an evil plan."

"You mean it's the reason _you_ can't carry out an evil plan." Kamek said.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Bowser demanded. "Don't tell me you've got a soft spot for these brothers! They need to pay for what they did! We have less than two weeks before the alignment and also before that dark cloud reaches the Earth. Haven't you heard about that on the news?"

"Yes, they're talking about it right now!" Kamek replied, pointing over to the television in the corner of the room. "It just passed Saturn earlier today."

"Hmm..." Bowser said. "The dark force is on its way to Jupiter right now?"

"Yep... It will be there in four days." Kamek replied. "Time is starting to run short."

"We should alert everyone at this base that the brothers are in the vicinity." Bowser said. "We need to catch them before they do any more damage, like obtain another Crystal Star."

"You're right." Kamek said. "Let's go!"

* * *

For the next half an hour, extra surveillance and defense weapons were set up around the base in an effort to hunt down and track the Mario Brothers in the event that they start getting close. Instead of heading back to the Darklands, Bowser and Kamek decided to stick and help with the effort. At the same time, however, Bowser was beginning to wish he was with his children so that he could be a father again. Bowser knew that the only way he would be able to do that was if he managed to kill Mario and Luigi and foil their efforts to stop him. He had to do perform this operation, not just for the sake of taking over the world, but also for his children, especially Bowser Jr.

The weather outside was beginning clear away as the heavy snowstorm started to die down. The bright stars of the night were beginning to show themselves, along with a surprising and beautiful blue and red spectacle that could only be seen at such high latitudes: the infamous Northern Lights, the result of ionized atmospheric gases created by the intense solar wind as it strikes the Earth's powerful magnetic field. Bowser, standing one of the high balconies of the main facility, was staring up at the mystical light in fascination, though he was not entirely moved by its spectacular beauty. He was more focused on the cloud of dark energy that was on its way to Earth and the implications it would have for him and his large army. He knew that he would have a better chance of making it through the apocalypse than anyone else in the entire world if his evil plan succeeded...


	7. Part 1, Chapter 7

**7**

"Look up at the sky, Luigi." Mario said, pointing up to the bright and colorful aurora display, which was now displaying hints of bright green. The brothers looked up at the beautiful spectacle in wonder as they stood in the cold snow. The bright curtains of ionized air made the white-snowcapped mountains glow different colors, which gave the scenery a magical feel to it. The brothers had never seen anything like it in their entire lives.

"That is amazing!" Luigi said, as his eyes remained transfixed on the starry sky above. "I never knew how beautiful this would be. Sure, we learned about in school, but we never got to experience it, because we're too far south." Both of the brothers paused to enjoy the scenery.

"I think we've seen a lot more in the past few days than anyone could ever imagine ever seeing in their lifetime." Mario said. "Actually, I know this for a fact..."

Mario paused for a moment, and then let out a huge sigh. Luigi could sense that something was bothering his older brother.

"What seems to be bothering you, big bro?" Luigi asked.

"It's about the vision of our parents." Mario said. "I wish they could've stayed with us for the remainder of this journey. I simply don't understand why they had to leave when they did."

"You know what I think?" Luigi asked.

"No, what?" Mario asked.

"I think that our parents have been with us the whole time this journey has taken place. After all, why have we been so lucky in escaping death countless times? And why else would they help us attain of the keys back in Sarasaland?"

"They've been with us our whole lives, Luigi!" Mario said. "You should know that! Besides, they're the reason you never committed suicide, you even said so yourself!"

"That was before I ever met Daisy!" Luigi said. "But yes, I didn't want to let them down and end my life because of my depression..." Luigi paused. "I just wanted to make them proud."

"Come on, Luigi. Let's get to that outpost and see what kind of surprises Bowser has to offer."

"I don't know if I want to. I think I've seen enough." Luigi said.

"Luigi! Remember what I've told you?! The princesses are in trouble and we're the only ones that can save them. My god, I feel like I've been redundantly repeating this the whole time we've been on this journey!" Mario was frustrated. "As long as we can still walk on our feet and breathe, we aren't stopping until the very end."

The brothers continued their trek through the cold snow up huge and treacherous icy cliffs. The colorful aurora continued changing shape and color above their heads as it guided their dark path up the side of the mountain. The colorful shades of red, green, blue, orange, and purple in the sky reminded Luigi of the times when him and his brother would use to wander around all of the Toad Town suburbs during Christmas time and admire the sparkling and colorful lights of people's houses. They also used to slide across the icy lake under the stars with other kids, after which they would sit inside next to their foster parents' fireplace and enjoy a nice refreshing cup of hot chocolate with bits of peppermint mixed in from ground up candy canes. He also remembered watching the snowfall from his bedroom window with Mario while waiting for Santa Clause on Christmas Eve to bring them their presents and how they would used to sneak downstairs to see what was inside their stockings. Then there were those priceless moments that he and his brother shared by the Christmas tree while opening their gifts, and the laughs that they shared. Those were magical times indeed, but all of it seemed like distant memories to him now as Luigi brought himself back to reality and followed his brother to the top of the mountain, where they suspected to encounter some of Bowser's deadly cronies.

As they continued, the wind started to pick up again and another bank of clouds started rolling across the sky. The already freezing air was starting to become even colder as light snow began to fall from the sky. Both Mario and Luigi could feel their sideburns and their eyebrows stick solid to their faces with thick ice. Even with the little bit of sleep that the brothers received while flying inside Bowser's airship, they were still immensely fatigued. But time was running short, and the brothers had no choice but to keep going to do whatever they could to save their world. Mario took out both the Diamond and Ruby Stars from the rucksack and noticed that their brightness had become slightly brighter since their adventure back in the desert. It was definitely a sign of the coming dangers in less than two weeks he knew, and they still had five more to find. _How are we going to find the other stars in time?! _Mario thought to himself as he had already done many times already, especially since he was aware of a dark cloud hurtling towards Earth. Suddenly, he heard his brother calling him from the top of the hill.

"Mario! Come see this!" Luigi shouted. "You're not going to believe how big this outpost is!"

Mario walked up to where his brother stood and looked out into a large icy basin that was illuminated by lights out in the distance. The brothers could see many buildings, as well as an airship pad and many searchlights that scanned the outpost for any suspicious activity.

"Damn!" Mario said. "This place is more secure than I thought! Somehow we have to find a way to sneak into the base without being seen. If they see us, we'll be dead for sure! If there is another dig site here, we should see about heading there."

"I was already thinking about doing that." Luigi said. "Somehow, I knew there was something suspicious about that airship they flew over us earlier."

"What makes you say that?" Mario asked.

"I think Bowser followed us here." Luigi replied. "From what we've seen already, I know for sure that he's capable of technology that a lot people back home would only dream of having."

"Let's save your prediction for when we get to the bottom of the hill." Mario said. "Come on, Luigi. Let's go!"

"I hope my prediction is wrong..." Luigi replied as they cautiously walked downward. "The last thing I need is for Bowser to try and slice my throat again."

* * *

**Hey, everyone! Sorry it's been such a long time! I've been on vacation in Seattle for over two and a half weeks, so I have been able to write any more chapters during that time. I did, however, finish my custom timeline for the Mario Brothers under my profile page with all of the events which lead up to my other story (which I have neglected to work on!) _The Return of A Fallen Hero_. For those of you who might be waiting for me to update on that, I'll try to get back to it as soon as possible. The great news is that I'm back to write; therefore I can finally get on with telling this story. Once again, I'm sorry for not being around for such a long time. I'll try to keep you guys updated on any other times I might not be able to update for a long time from now on... **

**Mario and Luigi are climbing the mountain that will take them to Bowser's snowy outpost. They are shocked to find that the whole facility is under intense security and begin to suspect that Bowser had followed them from Sarasaland. As snow starts creeping its way back over the snowy landscape, the brothers decide to make their way down into the basin to search for yet another archaeological dig that was rumored by Mark (the penguin) to exist there. Will they be able to find it?**

**As usual, I'll be seeing you guys the next time I update, but this time I won't keep you guys waiting for over a month ;) It's so great to be back!**

**saturn95 **


	8. Part 1, Chapter 8

**8**

Peach and Daisy sat in the dark of their cage prison as they waited for something good to happen, which they knew would not come for a while. It had been evident for the past two hours that Peach was coming down with some sort of sickness. Her face was unusually pale and she was running a very high fever and her nose had been running for the same amount of time. Then there was the uncontrollable sneezing and coughing that made Daisy very concerned; after all, she herself did not want to contract Peach's sickness. She did not want to join her cousin in being sick.

"I wish I had some...some...ACHOO!" Peach said as she sneezed hard. "Cold medicine..."

"I wish I wasn't stuck in the same cage as you right now." Daisy replied.

"I don't blame you." Peach replied in a sick tone. "I hope this illness of mine goes away soon! Whatever happened to...ACHOO! Pauline?"

"I wish I knew the answer to that." Daisy said. "I know just about as much as you do, Peach. My guess is that she didn't make it that far."

"What do you mean by...ACHOO! That?" Peach asked.

"It's been so long since she tried breaking us out of here." Daisy said. "I hope she's alright. The Koopas probably got her though."

"Well, at least she tried." Peach said, developing tears in her eyes as she sniffled on snot that kept dripping from her nose. "I want Mario to get me out of here."

"I can say the same for Luigi." Daisy replied. "Just try and get some rest for now. The longer you sleep, the more quickly you can get over your cold. Before we know it, Mario and Luigi will come get us, so try sleep off the rest of it, okay?"

"Okay." Peach replied weakly. "I'll try."

* * *

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in the icy tundra, Pauline and Yoshi were quietly sleeping and shivering under the cold stars and the faint glow of the brightly colored aurora. The fire which they set up was now reduced to just a few glowing embers that did not do much to keep their body temperatures in check. However, it did not keep them from getting their rest. Suddenly, Pauline woke up as she heard crunchy footsteps that sounded like they were headed in their direction. She looked around and saw two strange figures roaming in the dark that were indeed headed towards her and Yoshi. Pauline immediately went over to the sleeping Yoshi and shook him violently until his eyes started to open.

"What is it?" Yoshi asked in a tired tone.

"Yoshi, we need to hide somewhere." Pauline whispered. "There are two figures headed our way and they look like a couple of Bowser's Koopas!"

"Quick! I know a place where we can hide!" Yoshi said, pointing to a large boulder. "They won't see us if we hide over there!"

The two friends ran behind the boulder and nervously watched as the two Koopas walked over to the dimly lit fire pit to examine it for some unknown reason. The extreme cold outside made both of them shiver, especially Pauline who was wearing nothing but her short red dress.

"Looks like the woman and the dinosaur were here!" one of the Koopa soldiers said. It was obvious they were hunting down Pauline and Yoshi. "I can both of their footprints on the ground here."

"Where do they lead?" the other Koopa asked.

"How am I supposed to know that?!" the first Koopa shouted. "It's in the middle of the freaking night in the middle of the freaking flat tundra. The only light we have is the aurora, but even that isn't enough to help us see where we're going! If only we brought a flashlight!"

"Man, seriously. When are you going to appreciate the things that you already have?" the second Koopa asked. "At least God was thankful enough to put on this light show in the night sky!"

"I don't care about the stinkin' light show!" the first Koopa said. "All I care about is finding those escaped fugitives and bringing them back to Bowser's castle before Bowser himself lights our asses on fire! You heard about what happened the other day, didn't you? I don't want that to be me! Got it?!"

"Yes, I get it!" the second Koopa yelled. "Geesh! What am I to you? Chopped liver?!"

Suddenly, the first Koopa received an incoming transmission on his radio. He pressed the button and was surprised to hear Bowser on the other end.

"Did you find the fugitives?" Bowser asked, his voice fuzzy through the radio static.

"No, sir. We haven't found them." said the Koopa. "All we know is that they're somewhere out here in the tundra. We did manage to find a couple sets of footprints, but they haven't taken us anywhere."

"Well, never mind the fugitives!" Bowser shouted. "We have an even bigger issue to worry about now! The Mario Brothers are making their way towards our northern base just above the Mushroom Kingdom! I was lucky enough to spot the airship that they used to escape from Sarasaland while I was on my way to get Kamek."

"So they're somewhere near the base?" the Koopa asked.

"That's what I said, wasn't it?!" Bowser replied. "Hurry and get both of you asses out here. We need to take those Mario Brothers down!" Bowser said. "This time, I really mean it! No excuses!"

"Yes, sir." said the Koopa as the conversation ended. The other Koopa looked at him with an irritated expression.

"Let's hurry and get back to the airship!" said the first Koopa. "We're going farther to the west to meet up with Bowser and Kamek."

The two Koopas left the campsite as they walked back in the direction that they came from. Sure enough, there was a large airship out in the distance that Pauline failed to notice earlier. She and Yoshi had been listening to the entire conversation.

"Yoshi, we need to sneak onto the airship!" Pauline said.

"Are you crazy?!" Yoshi asked. "If we try doing that, we'll end up getting killed!"

"But, Yoshi! It's the quickest way to find Mario and Luigi!" Pauline replied. "They need our help! Would you rather walk?"

"Yeah, you're right." Yoshi said. "Hop on my back."

Pauline climbed on top of Yoshi's back, and the two of them continued into the dark, silently following the two Koopas back to their airship. Pauline looked up at the colorful glow in the sky and could not help but have her thoughts race about Mario and Luigi. Her life would have been over had it not been for their presence. The more she thought about it, the more obligated she was to helping them save the world. She knew that the fate of every kingdom rested upon their hands, but that did not stop her from being a part of it. All she wanted was something that she could be proud of and remember for the rest of her life.

As Yoshi and Pauline neared the airship, they saw that the door was closing.

"We're not going to make it!" Pauline shouted.

"Yeah, we will!" Yoshi replied as he raced faster towards the doors. "Hold on tight!"

Then, just as the door started becoming too low to duck under, Yoshi slid on his knees and Pauline lowered her head as they both went flying underneath the door and into the ship, where they quickly ran down towards the living quarters towards the cargo room. There was no sign of the two Koopas anywhere, though they figured they were at the wheel, since they could feel and hear the ship lifting itself off the ground. Once inside the room, Yoshi closed the door and both of them let out a sigh of relief.

"They'll never find us in here!" Pauline said. "At least it's warm in here."

"It'll be even warmer once you put this on. It was lying on the floor." Yoshi said, handing Pauline a warm and fuzzy coat that was made for a Koopa, but was still the right size for her to wear.

"Thank you!" Pauline said. "But aren't you going to be cold?"

"I'll be fine." Yoshi replied. "You need it more than I do anyway."

The airship was now soaring over the frozen tundra and making its way to the snow-covered mountains to the west, where Bowser and Kamek were keeping a lookout for Mario and Luigi. It would be a few hours before the airship would arrive at its destination.


	9. Part 1, Chapter 9

**9**

As Mario and Luigi climbed down the mountain towards the base, the winds started picking up around them and chilling their bodies down to their bones. The snow started falling from the sky in greater concentrations and made it difficult for the brothers to see ahead of them. The sky overhead was now covered with dark clouds, so the spectacular aurora and numerous stars were obliterated from sight. As the brothers walked through patches of pine trees and got closer to Bowser's base, the more nervous they became. Bowser was waiting for them, and they knew he more than likely had a special surprise waiting for them when they get down to the base. From what they could see on the outside, the buildings that made up the base seemed to be surrounding some area of importance. The brothers could only imagine what that could be, but they were sure that was where they were supposed to go. The only way for them to get there was through the building complex. Both brothers gulped out of fear just thinking about it, but they bravely pressed onward through the pine trees.

"I don't know about this." Luigi said. "I don't think there's any way we can get inside without getting caught in the spotlight. The security is just too tight."

"I'm beginning to think that you're right, Luigi." Mario said. "This place is a complete trap. If we try to get in, we'll get caught. If we just do nothing about it, then the world will end. Either way, we're screwed...Unless..."

"What is it, Mario?" Luigi asked.

"Hold on, I'm thinking." Mario replied. "I've got it! What if there was some way we could knock out the base's power grid? If there is, then I think we may stand a chance at getting inside the dig. If we can knock out the power, Bowser won't stand a chance at catching us!"

"We should probably see if we can find the base's power source." Luigi said. "I'm hoping that we can be able to find it somewhere outside the perimeter of this facility. If not, there's always the fire alarm."

"Right, let's see what we can find." Mario replied. "Hopefully we don't have to resort to plan B!"

The brothers exited the small pine forest and emerged into a snowed in clearing just outside the fenced in base. At the top of one of the small buildings they could see one of the Koopa Troops operating a huge spotlight, scanning the scenery for any possible movement. There were other spotlights being operated as well, in buildings that were farther away from where the brothers were standing. As the snow kept blowing in their faces, Mario and Luigi looked both left and right from where they stood and observed to see which path looked more promising. As far as they could both tell, both paths were equally unforgiving.

"Should we split up and search each side of the perimeter?" Luigi asked.

"Luigi, I don't if that's a good idea." Mario asked. "I don't want a repeat of what happened back in the Mushroom Kingdom in those underground caves! You almost got killed by that poison gas!"

"But Mario, The clock is ticking!" Luigi said. "Besides, I think the likelihood of running into any poison gas in the snow is very slim."

Mario gave a slight glare at Luigi for his smart remark, after which he sighed realizing that it was the smart thing for them to do. "Alright." Mario said. "You take the right this time and I'll take the left. Just don't get caught in the beam of a giant spotlight!"

"Don't worry, brother. I'll be fine!" Luigi said. "I'll stay in the trees. Meet me on the other side of the base somewhere, okay?"

"Will do." Mario replied. "Be careful, Luigi."

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the base, Bowser and Kamek were busy discussing the options they had of reviving their already crumbling evil plan in one of the base's many lounges. The more they talked about it, the more frustrating it seemed to become. The Mario Brothers had already taken two of their stars and they were now working on a third and they were running out of time to find the others. Bowser was also thinking about the state of his eight children. He wished he could be there for them and not be running all over the world after two psychotic human beings that are determined to bring down his kingdom, not to mention a third who partnered with a yoshi and escaped from their captivity back in the Darklands. Just thinking about everything that has happened in the past five days gave Bowser a splitting headache.

"Is everything alright with you, master?" Kamek asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I just have a little headache that's all." Bowser replied. "Maybe I'm just thinking too much about what we should do about Mario and Luigi."

"We should focus on getting the rest of the stars for now." Kamek said. "At least that's what I think. I should also focus on trying to get my wand back!"

"We'll get your wand back soon enough." Bowser said. "That's when we find that dark-haired woman and the yoshi. Who knows where they could be right now. Hopefully, one of our units will find them soon. I wonder how the Koopas on the roof are doing right now."

Just then, one of the Goombas that worked on the base walked by and saw Bowser and Kamek sitting at their table.

"Good evening, master." the Goomba said.

"Have there been any sightings of the two brothers yet?" Bowser asked.

"As far as I know there haven't been any at all." the Goomba replied. "I'll be checking out the scenery periodically myself, so I'll let you know if any of our men up there get a chance to spot them."

"Alright..." Bowser said. _Damn those brothers! I still can't wait to get my claws on them! They will pay with their own lives for the damages they've caused to me!_

* * *

Back outside, Mario was making his way around the left side of the base's perimeter, being sure to stay hidden among the trees when a light started coming near him. The snowfall eased only slightly since him and Luigi entered the brightly illuminated base, which was slightly responsible for the snow glow in the clouds above. Suddenly, a bright spotlight pointed in Mario's direction and Mario was quick to duck under a large boulder that was conveniently placed nearby. When the light moved away, Mario quickly got back up and continued walking cautiously among the trees through the cold snow around the perimeter of the base.

"That was scary close!" Mario said to himself out loud. "I wonder where Luigi is right now. He shouldn't be too far."

Mario continued around the base and through the trees until he reached an area that was caged in with wire fencing. There was also a large yellow sign on the gate leading into the small enclosure. Mario walked up to the enclosure and read the sign.

WARNING!

HIGH VOLTAGE

AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL

ONLY.

"BOO!" shouted a voice from right behind Mario that caused him to jump. Mario turned around and saw Luigi wearing a large grin on his face and he tried to contain his laughter. Mario gave him the death glare.

"You fucking startled me!" Mario said. "Don't you dare ever do that again!"

"Sorry, Mario, but I couldn't help it." Luigi replied.

"Of course you couldn't." Mario replied with a slight hint of dread in his voice. Both the brothers turned their attention on the giant power structure inside the fence and heard the buzzing of electricity going through the power lines that were attached to it. They both grinned when they realized they were connected to the buildings on the base.

"This is the power generator?" Mario asked.

"I'm pretty sure it is." Luigi said. "Why else would there be a warning of high voltage?"

"I don't know." Mario said. "Let's open the large box and see if there's a switch that we can pull to turn the power off."

"WAIT!" Luigi said. "The fence could be electric!"

"Luigi, why would there be an electric fence here? It's snowing for God's sake! The water would've taken it out by now!"

"True." Luigi said, feeling dumb. "I haven't been sleeping lately, so my mind isn't working the way I want it to."

"You and me both brother." Mario replied. "For now, let's just stay focused on what we're about to accomplish here."

Both brothers approached the fence cautiously at first, but were relieved to find that the fence was not electrified. They both jumped over with ease and walked over to the large box that was sitting at the base of the power structure. When they opened the lid, they discovered a myriad of switches, buttons, and dials that each corresponded with a different power function. Luckily, the main switch was obvious enough for the brothers to locate.

"Are you ready for this?" Mario asked as he put his hand on the switch.

"I'm ready!" Luigi said. "Let's see how well they can handle the dark for a while."

* * *

Bowser and Kamek were still sitting in the lobby when all of a sudden they were plunged into darkness. A few of the Koopas and Goombas that were in the room screamed when it happened, but Bowser and Kamek were only slightly surprised and remained calm.

"All of our surveillance systems are out!" one of the Koopas called out. "There's no way we can monitor any outside interference."

The air inside the base was started to cool down as well, since the heating systems were shut down as well. Bowser could feel goose bumps developing on his skin as the cold started getting to him. He looked over at Kamek, who was already standing up to go see what the issue was. But Bowser somehow already knew what happened.

"They're here Kamek." Bowser said. "The Mario Brothers have arrived."

* * *

**I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. My Internet has been giving me some issues, so I haven't been able to post any new chapters, and for that I do apologize. Anyway, now that its back I can start adding more chapters!**

**The brothers have arrived at the base, only to find that the whole area is fenced in and heavily watched, more so than they initially thought. However, they were able to find the base's power source and shut down all of the power after they both split up to explore each side of the base's perimeter. Now that the power is out, they can enter the base and gain access to the archaeological dig hidden in the center amongst the small buildings. Hopefully Bowser isn't quick to catch the two Mario Brothers when they get inside! We'll see what happens in the following chapters :)**

**saturn95**


	10. Part 1, Chapter 10

**10**

Once the switch was pulled, Mario and Luigi quickly made their way towards the base and started climbing the tall wire fence that surrounded it. Being careful not to scratch themselves with the barbed wire that laced the top, the brothers were able to jump down onto the other side and land in the snow without any issues. From there, the two brothers made their way to the closest building and plowed through the heavily-locked glass door to get inside. They were inside a large storage house filled with many metal crates, most of which were stacked on top of each other. Looking around, Mario and Luigi discovered that the building they were in was connected by two small hallways on either side. They figured that the other buildings that made up the base were all interconnected by small hallways, all of which prevented intruders like them themselves from seeing what lies at the mysterious center of the base. There were no windows looking onto the other side of the building either, which would prove to be an obstacle for the brothers. After all, how else were they supposed to see where they should go in order to reach the dig? The only way that the brothers would no for sure was if they started down one of the hallways and work their way through all of the buildings of Bowser's snowy outpost.

"Well, at least it's warmer in here than out there." Luigi said. "And to think that several hours I would've had a negative reaction to that statement."

"It won't be this warm for much longer unless someone turns the power back on." Mario replied. "But that's the least of our worries. Right now, we need to find a way to reach the center of this base. The only thing we can do to find the way is to follow one of these hallways into one of the other two buildings that lay adjacent to the one we're in right now. This time, we should stick together in case one of us runs into a few of Bowser's goons. That way, we can help each other out in battle."

"You still don't trust me, huh?" Luigi said somewhat coolly to his brother, who was somewhat surprised at Luigi's remark.

"What makes you think that?" Mario asked. "I trust you."

"Then, why were you so worried about me when we were about to split up when we were searching the perimeter of this place for this place's power source?" Luigi asked.

"I was just worried for your safety, Luigi." Mario said. "I was worried enough when you almost suffocated to death back in those caves in the Mushroom Kingdom. I thought the poison gas killed you for sure."

"I don't think you trust me," Luigi said, "especially since after that incident five days ago. You're afraid that I'm going to do something stupid, aren't you?"

"Luigi now is not the time to argue." Mario said. "We need to reach the center of this base and enter that archaeological dig so we can locate another Crystal Star! The whole world is at stake! You saw that on the news not too long ago!"

"Shh! Someone's coming!" Luigi said. "Quick! Behind that crate!"

The brothers quickly hid behind a large stack of crates at the far end of the room as the Koopa voices started coming down the left hallway. The brothers peaked from behind the crates and saw two red-shelled Koopas emerging from the hallway. They seemed to be having some sort of conversation as they made their way to the door. The brothers listened in.

"So, do you think that the Mario Brothers are behind this little stunt as well?" one of the Koopas asked.

"Of course! Who or what else would it be? The power doesn't normally go off in this weather, because our small power grid is able to withstand this bitter cold. It doesn't just off for no reason!"

"I guess it could be possible." said the first Koopa. "Didn't Bowser mention that he spotted the airship that they supposedly crash-landed here?"

"I don't remember. But I think he did." said the second Koopa. "You think they would be able to survive in this bitter cold?"

"Hmm." said the first Koopa. "I don't know. Humans weren't meant to survive in such harsh places like this."

"Neither were we!" said the second Koopa. "The only reason we're here is because Bowser told we had to be here. He wanted us to help in the recovery of one of the lost Crystal Stars!"

"You think I don't know that already?!" the first Koopa yelled, almost uncontrollably. "Let's stop wasting our time and see what the problem with the power is. I'm sure it's nothing but a minor problem that needs stitching."

"I hope you're right, because I don't want to freeze my shell off anytime soon!"

The two Koopas made their way to the glass door and suddenly noticed that the door was already unlocked as the second Koopa reached for his keys.

"Why the door is already unlocked?" he asked. "Shouldn't this door be locked at all times?"

"Someone was here." said the first Koopa. "Any I having that whoever was here is still among us. By that, I mean two someones."

"Let's search the room." the second Koopa replied. "I'll check over by these crates over here on this end of the room. You search the other side."

_Oh shit!_ Mario thought as the Koopas got closer.

"Alright, Luigi. Follow my lead!" Mario whispered.

"What are we going to do, exactly?" Luigi whispered back. "We're pretty much trapped!"

"We're going to fight." Mario replied. "What else are we going to do?"

Suddenly, one of the Koopas turned their heads in the brothers' direction and saw Mario standing out in the open.

"It's one of the brothers!" the Koopa shouted. The other turned around and saw Mario as well. Mario, who was shaking nervously inside, immediately dove back behind the crates to get away from the coming onslaught.

"Hey! Get back here you lousy piece of shit!" said the first Koopa.

"_Looking for someone?_" said a voice from behind. The Koopas turned around and saw Luigi standing before them.

"It's the other one!" said the second Koopa. "You're not getting away either!" "Oh, really?" Luigi inquired as he suddenly delivered a swift, yet powerful blow to the Koopa's face. Laying on the ground and bleeding, the Koopa tried returning the powerful blow, but Luigi kicked him the gut and then in the head before the Koopa was knocked inside of his shell. The second Koopa tried going after him, but he was suddenly surprised by an attack from Mario, who had since emerged from his hiding spot. After a few powerful kicks and punches, the other Koopa was seen hiding inside his shell, and whimpering alongside his friend.

"Whatever you two do, please don't hurt us!" the Koopas cried in unison. "It's Bowser that you want to hurt, not us! We're just doing what he tells us!"

"We'll be sure to send Bowser our regards." Mario said. "But in the meantime, I think it's time that you two learned a valuable lesson about revenge. Care to do the honors, Luigi?"

"With pleasure!" Luigi said as he lifted his right foot.

"W-what are you doing?!" the second Koopa asked. "Please! NO!"

Luigi kicked the shelled-in Koopa through the glass door and caused him to crash into the wire fence beyond, sending the Koopa creature into a deep sleep that he would not wake up from for a while. He then turned his attention to the other Koopa.

"You're next, buddy!" Luigi said.

"No! Please! I beg of you!"

But it was too late when the Koopa finished his sentence. He was already flying through the snow and then crashed into the fence a few seconds later. They were both unconscious. The brothers looked at each other with nervous glances.

"Hurry! Let's book our way down that left hallway." Mario said. "That could be our ticket to the center of this place!"

"But, what about the other hallway?" Luigi said. "There shouldn't be any Koopas coming from over there."

"I wouldn't count on it." Mario said. "We're better off going to where the danger is coming from. That's usually where we'll end up getting somewhere we need to go, right?"

"Fine." Luigi said. "But we should probably stay quiet even though the lights are off. Bowser is bound to be somewhere inside one of these buildings."

The brothers continued cautiously down the dark hallway to the next large building. They began to hear lots of voices as they ventured further, mainly those of Koopas, as well as a few Goombas. The brothers knew that they were about to find themselves in a lot of trouble if they simply walked into the next area, so they proceeded with extreme caution and sought to avoid any further conflicts by going unnoticed. Still, it was unclear as to how easily the brothers could manage such tactics. However, Mario and Luigi would soon find out as they continued approaching the doorway leading into the next building.

* * *

**Hey, everyone! Sorry for yet another delay! Ugh! It's not easy when you're trying to write a story with a strong case of writer's block, coupled with the demands of life. However, I think I'll be able to write at normal pace again here soon. I just need to finish developing my ideas for the rest of this part of the story before I can move on to the next part, which I'm really excited for. I have so many ideas for what will happen later on, but I have to finish this part before I can get to the next part. I'll try to have another chapter up by next week. I will also try and make these chapters a little longer if possible. Until the next update, I'll see all of you later! Once again, sorry for such a long wait!**

**saturn95**


	11. Part 1, Chapter 11

11

Mario and Luigi were shocked as they entered the large room. Sitting and standing among the many pieces of furniture in the large lobby area were dozens of Koopas and Goombas trying to keep warm as the temperature inside the building complex continued to drop. The brothers knew that they only way they could get by without being seen was if they stayed hidden and stayed quiet. But with the already growing silence among the evil creatures, the brothers would find that task rather difficult, since they were all looking in many different directions. There was no doubt that the chances for getting caught were staggering, so they resorted to crawling and hugging the far side of the short wall enclosing the lounge area. Their target was the next doorway on the far side of the room that boasted a sign pointing them in the direction they needed to go to reach the center of the base. Mario and Luigi briefly lifted their heads to see what was going on in the lounge and were shocked to see Bowser sitting at one of the tables with his magical assistant, Kamek. They immediately crouched back down.

"Bowser is in here!" Mario whispered. "And so is Kamek!"

"I forget, who is Kamek?" Luigi whispered back. "Am I supposed to know who he is?"

"I suppose it's been a long time since either of us have seen him." Mario replied. "But I remember who he is. He's Bowser's evil assistant, and he was the one responsible for what happened on Yoshi's Island when we were still babies, at least the part where they kidnapped you and the stork. He used to fly around on a broom and he always carried with him his magic wand."

"What happened to his wand?" Luigi asked. "I didn't see him carrying it with him. Did he leave it back in Bowser's Castle?"

"Kamek would never leave his wand behind!" Mario said. "Either way, we should stay clear of any of these hooligans. Our doorway is just ahead, so we should be able to make it over there rather easily."

Mario and Luigi quietly dodged their way past the walkway leading into the giant lobby area and headed for the doorway they were after. Once they got through it, they found themselves in another long hallway with many other doorways leading into different rooms, most likely offices of some sort as far as the brothers could tell. Suddenly, the brothers were greeted by a sudden blinding flash of light that could be seen all around them. Mario and Luigi froze in their tracks, realizing that the power had been turned back on and they were extremely vulnerable to the Koopa enemy force.

"Damn it!" Mario said. "They figured it out!"

To make matters even worse, the dead cameras that were mounted on the walls came back to life and they were being watched by Bowser's surveillance. Panicking, both brothers began searching for another area to avoid the field of sight carried by the camera at the far end of the hallway and were suddenly surprised by the loud ringing of sirens.

"They found us!" Luigi said. "What do we do now?"

"Quick! Over there!" Mario shouted, pointing over to the men's restroom nearby. "We can hide in there!"

"What if they find us in there?!" Luigi asked.

"Just follow me! I think I might be able to get us out of here!"

* * *

"I knew that the Mario Brothers were here!" Bowser shouted in the lobby as the sirens continued to ring and the Koopas and Goombas rushed. "They were obviously the ones who turned off the power to get inside the building. They can't get very far now, though. Finally we'll be able to get our hands on those Crystal Stars!"

"First, we have to find out where they're at, exactly." Kamek said. "That shouldn't be too much of an issue, at least I would think."

"They can't be too far." Bowser said. "Our power generators are located very close to our current location and there's no way that Mario and Luigi could be on the other side of the base by now. The power hasn't been out very long."

"I'll go help the others find them." Kamek said.

"Don't worry, I already planning on helping them myself." Bowser replied.

* * *

Luigi followed his brother and quickly slam-locked the door behind them to avoid getting seen by the Koopa and Goomba guards, whose footsteps started making their way down the hall. With their hearts pounding in their chests, Mario and Luigi frantically searched the interior of the restroom to see if there was anything they could make use out of. So far, the only thing they could do was hide in two of the bathroom stalls and hope that the guards would not burst through the door and find them. The footsteps outside the door were now much louder.

"What do we do now?" Luigi asked. "They know we're in here!"

"What about that air vent that's above you, Luigi?" Mario called from the other stall. "Do you think you can reach that?"

"I think so." Luigi replied. "Is there going to be enough space through there for us to get out?"

"The only way we can find out is if you open the grate that's blocking it." Mario said. "There's a handle that you can use to do just that."

"No shit, Mario. I have eyes too!" Luigi replied. "Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it, bro." Mario said. "I know that you're tired from all the running around we've been doing lately."

Luigi stood on top of the toilet and reached up for the large air vent to make it come loose. He pulled the large handle, but was dismayed to see that it was shut tight by two large screws that bolted the grating shut.

"It won't budge!" Luigi said. "I can't get it open!"

"Remember the knife that you stole from Lord Crump?" Mario asked. "Try using the tip of the blade to undo those screws!"

Luigi took out Lord Crump's knife and started working on the screws. Just then, the brothers heard loud banging at the door as troops started trying to the break their way into the restroom. Luigi started to panic and his hand started becoming wobbly.

"Hurry, Luigi!" We don't have much time!" Mario shouted.

"I'm trying!" Luigi replied. "My hand keeps losing concentration!"

The banging on the door only became louder and Luigi only panicked more as he tried getting the screws out with the knife. After numerous attempts, he was able to finally get the tip of the knife blade inside the screw and turn it loose. After a few turns, the screw fell to the floor and Luigi started on the other screw.

"That's it, Luigi! You only need one more!" Mario said. "Hurry! You can do this!"

"I'm hurrying!" Luigi said in an irritated tone. "My hand keeps shaking!"

The banging kept getting louder and the brothers started to hear shouted coming from the hallway outside. Luigi kept attempting to lock the tip of the knife with the grooves in the screw with not much luck. Finally, Luigi was able to lock it in and frantically began unscrewing the second and final screw until the whole grate came loose. Luigi removed it and set it on the floor and motioned for Mario to follow him. Jumping up and pulling inside, Luigi found that the air vent was indeed wide enough for him and his brother to fit inside.

"Grab my hands, Mario. I'll pull you inside." Luigi said. "I think I know where to go from here."

"I'll be right behind you, Luigi." Mario said as he grabbed his little brother's hands. "You lead the way."

Luigi pulled Mario into the air vent and the two brothers started to quickly crawl through the warm air ducts and started looking for another opening that will lead them somewhere closer to where they need to go.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the men's room, the Koopa and Goomba guards finally burst through the doorway after numerous attempts to break the lock. Now they were inside and one step closer to capturing the Mario Brothers, or so they thought. They looked around and were dismayed to see that the brothers were nowhere to be seen at all. A Goomba was the first to notice the grating on the floor, along with the empty hole in the ceiling leading into the air ducts above.

"The brothers have obviously escaped through the air vent!" said the Goomba. "They could be heading anywhere!"

"Not to worry, they won't be able to get that far if we have guards stationed outside every room in this building." said one of the Koopa guards. "If you ask me, that would be the best way to capture them." He took out his walkie-talkie and contacted Bowser.

"What is it?" Bowser asked through the device. "Did you find the brothers?"

"Not quite." Said the Koopa guard. "Somehow they managed to escape through the air vent."

"They what?!" Bowser asked in frustration. "Where are you guys right now?!"

"We're in the men's room." said the Koopa guard. "They can't be too far though."

"I sure hope they aren't!" Bowser said. "Order the others to station themselves outside the other rooms in this building. The brothers are bound to emerge inside one of those areas."

"Already ahead of you, boss." said the Koopa guard. "I'll be sure to get right to it."

"Excellent." Bowser replied. "I'm counting on you."

After turning off his walkie-talkie, the Koopa guard turned his attention to everyone else in the room.

"You heard the boss! Everyone station yourselves outside the other rooms and wait for the Mario Brothers to walk out!"

The other Koopas and Goombas did what they were told and started filing out into the hallway towards the other rooms to wait out the appearance of the Mario Brothers.


	12. Part 1, Chapter 12

**12**

Mario and Luigi continued through air ducts in search of a way out. They already knew that emerging somewhere else in the building would almost certainly lead to their capture, so they decided to look for a route that would take them outside, though they were unsure if there was an opening that would take them there. Still, they pressed onward and felt the warm air blow past them. The very same rush of warmth made the brothers sweat profusely in their heavy jackets, which made their tight surroundings almost unbearable.

"There's got to be a way out of here!" Luigi said as he continued leading the way. "There's no way there can't be a duct that leads outside."

"What makes you say that, bro?" Mario asked as he continued following his brother.

"In other words, I'm hoping that there is an opening that will take us outside." Luigi replied. "I'm just trying to stay on the positive side, here."

"Trying making a right turn at the next junction." Mario said. "That should take us to where we are headed, if I'm not mistaken."

"What makes you say _that_?" Luigi asked.

"I'm just following my instinct." Mario replied. "Do you have a better idea?"

"Other than going straight, not really." Luigi said. "But I will trust you on this one."

After about a minute of crawling through the metallic ducts, the brothers reached an intersection where two duct pathways came together. Luigi did what Mario suggested and made a right turn and Mario followed close behind. Luigi soon came across another grate opening leading down into one of the rooms inside the building. Looking down, Luigi could see two Goombas talking to each other. He stopped and started listening in on their conversation.

"What's the holdup, Luigi?" Mario asked, after which Luigi turned around and signaled him to be quiet. Mario did what he was told.

* * *

Down in the room below, the Goombas stood in the center of the room, waiting for the brothers to pop their way down from the ceiling duct and into the room they were standing in. They both studied the grating in the middle of the ceiling, but they were unable to see through the narrow slits, even though they suspected that they heard something above them just a moment ago. The ruckus had since stopped and they assumed that the warm air inside the vents was to blame. After all, metal does tend to expand when it heats up. They were now just talking about their nightly shifts and the usual "how are things going" things that most everyone tends to bring up at the beginning of a conversation. They were both tired and fatigued from their late hours, so the words spoken by each Goomba tended to slur a bit. One of them just recently took out a small flask containing some sort of alcoholic beverage.

"So the Mario Brothers are trapped somewhere in the air vents?" the drinking Goomba asked as he took another sip from his flask.

"Well, yeah!" said the other Goomba. "Didn't you see the grating on the floor in the men's room? It was unscrewed from the ceiling! Who else would've done that?! Rosalina, the legendary Star Princess?!"

"No need for the sarcasm, dude! I was just asking a simple question!" said the drinking Goomba. "I'm beginning to think that they're nowhere near our section of the building, because I haven't seen or heard anything come from the grate above us. Should we go check somewhere else?"

"It's all up to you." the other Goomba replied. "What do you think we should do?"

"I think we should go somewhere else, this place is getting too boring for me." said the drinking Goomba, who closed the lid of his flask and put it back in his jacket pocket. "Let's go further down the hall."

With that said, the two Goombas made their way out of the room and turned right down the brightly illuminated hallway and proceeded to check the other rooms that have yet to be checked.

* * *

Back in the air vent, Mario and Luigi waited for the Goombas to go away before crawling further down the warm passage. Their suspicions of the Bowser's Troops were now proven to be correct: they were indeed going to every room of the building to check and see if they would emerge from the air ducts and back into the open where they could be easily seen. However, the brothers had other plans.

"I was going to say drop into another room if possible, but I guess it's too late for that now." Mario said. "We really need to find a path leading outside to the center of this base. Do you think we could be close to reaching it?"

"Maybe, if we're lucky." Luigi replied. "However, I do have the feeling that we should be getting closer to where we need to go. Just keep following me."

"Okay."

The brothers kept crawling quietly straight ahead past more grate barriers that opened up into other rooms in the building, in which Koopas and Goombas alike gathered and waited for them to climb out. But the brothers were much smarter than they were and they continued past the openings until they reached another intersection with vents leading both left and right. Just ahead of them was a grate blocking another vent passage, from which colder air seemed to be making its way into the warmer vents. Luigi took out the knife to unscrew the screws on each side the grate barrier and struggled to stretch his arms in the tight space of the vent.

"I'm pretty sure that this grate is blocking the passage that will take us out of here and back outside." Luigi said. "Can you feel the cold air coming in back there, Mario?"

"Yeah, I can feel it. It's starting to make me shiver a little." Mario replied. "Damn, I was just getting used to the warmth too! Now I have to get used to the cold again."

"I know how that feels. " Luigi said as he loosened the left screw. "Trust me, I'm feeling it right now as well. It reminds me of the time when Wario and Waluigi stole our winter coats during the winter we had record lows in the Mushroom Kingdom. Do you remember that?"

"How could I _not_ remember that?" Mario replied. "We were so sick after being in the cold, that we were living off of chicken soup for a whole week! Now that I think about it, it really did more good for us than bad. It's almost as if that incident prepared us for what we're going through right now."

"I guess you could say that." Luigi replied as he took the left screw out of the grate and started working on the right screw. "But Wario and Waluigi eventually got what they deserved after that little episode that happened right before the king's funeral. I wonder how they're enjoying their jail sentence."

"I just hope that they learned their lesson." Mario replied. "They needed a good scare from the authorities, wouldn't you say?"

"Absolutely!" Luigi said. "However, I can't but wonder what Bowser could've done to scare them."

"He probably wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone that goes against his ideology." Mario replied. "We would know, because we've lived through a couple of Bowser's attacks. And I'm sure most people would agree with us too."

"Who _wouldn't_?" Luigi asked as he finished working on the second screw. Finally the screw came loose and Luigi was able to free the grate from the walls of the vent and reveal the hidden vent beyond. The brothers continued crawling forward and felt the temperature of the air around them plummet as they neared another bolted grate. By the time Mario and Luigi reached the second grate barrier, they were once again able to see their breath, and the air inside the vent was so cold that their hands were starting to get a little numb, even though they were wearing their white gloves on. With Lord Crump's knife still in his hand, Luigi started unscrewing the bolts of the second grate and felt cold wind blow through the narrow slits.

"I think we're almost outside, Mario!" Luigi said. "Just two more screws to loosen and then we can crawl out of this vent!"

"Hopefully this will take us to the dig." Mario replied. "And hopefully we have easy access to what lies beneath the ground. Only then will it be possible for us to find the third Star. As of right now, I think the only threat we have to deal with are a few Koopa Troops and maybe a few Goombas."

"But what about Bowser and Kamek? They know that we're stuck inside the vents right now!" Luigi said. "I'm surprised he hasn't used his fire breath to torch us or even sear us to death in the time we've been crawling above the ceilings of all those rooms inside this building."

"I'm sure he has reasons for not doing that." Mario said. "But thank goodness he hasn't done that to us yet. Otherwise, we would have literally been toast a long time ago! Guess I better knock on _metal_ while I can, huh?"

"I believe the expression is '_knock on wood'_." Luigi replied. "I learned it while we were still in school."

"Damn!" Mario said. "Luigi out-schools his brother once again!"

"Hey, you do better at a lot of other things than me." Luigi said. "Don't be so harsh on yourself. You're definitely a better athlete than I'll ever be! And that's a fact!"

"Now you're just being harsh on _your_self!" Mario replied. Luigi said nothing.

Luigi finally unscrewed the last screw and removed the grate barrier. He was now looking out into the center of Bowser's base which consisted of a large snowfield and a few large holes in the ground where the archeological dig had been set up. Lamps and large outdoor shelters had been set up to accommodate the needs of the diggers during work hours. Looking out into the field, Luigi did not see any Koopas or Goombas running loose on the dig. However, looking around the perimeter of the base on top of the buildings, Luigi could see Koopas operating the large searchlights, so the brothers were going to have to remain in the dark. Snowflakes were still falling from the dark and cloudy nighttime sky and the cold wind was still blowing strong across the snowy landscape.

"What are you waiting for, Luigi? Let's get out of here!" Mario said from behind.

"Sorry, I just had to check for any possible danger." Luigi replied. "The only thing we have to worry about are those searchlights."

"Gotcha." Mario said.

Luigi did a front flip out of the vent opening and landed in the snow on both feet. He motioned for Mario to come and he ended up doing the same maneuver. After they made it safely to the ground, the brothers started walking over to the dig.

* * *

**Hey everyone! I just want to quickly point out that this will mark the hundredth chapter of _The Rising of Two Heroes_! Thank you to all who have been patiently awaiting my updates and giving me feedback! And don't worry, there is still a lot to come! The story is far from over :)**

**So far, Mario and Luigi have escaped the Koopas and Goombas, as well as Bowser and Kamek by traversing the air vents and finding their way back outside and in the center of Bowser's Snowbound outpost where most of the digging for the third star has been taking place. Their next objective is to avoid getting caught in the searchlights and dive into the unknown icy depths underground... Who knows what kinds of surprises will be lurking down there! Mario and Luigi will soon find out.**

**Again, thank you guys for reading my story! See you in the next chapter... One hundred chapters and counting! :)**

**saturn95**


End file.
